One of the most beautiful places is Kyrgyzstan is the Sary-Chelek lake in the mountains of Tian-Shan. Sary-Chelek is translated from Kyrgyz as the “Yellow Bucket”, though the hosts call this ground “the Golden Hollow”. Sary-Chelek reserve covers the south side of Chatkal ghat and looks like a charmed part of land getting into which for most of Kyrgyz people is being a pipedream. This part got a great popularity due to its natural beauty – Turbulent rivers coming from the glaciers; blue-greenish lakes sparkling on the bottom of serrated rock ridges that give way to smooth slopes covered by rich amount of relict walnut forests and plentiful grass carpet covering the alpine meadows with multicolority.
The Sary-Chelek Lake itself is like a pearl that was beaded on the string of mountain chains. It goes from the south to the north for 7.5 km in the mountain gorge on the height of 1878 m. The lake is encircled by yellow boulders and fir trees clinging to the steep slopes and on their branches goosanders and gannets make their nests. Also the slopes are covered by graceful clematis and rare fern.
Sary-Chelek reserve founded in 1959 provides habitat for more than one third of Kyrgyz species of flora and fauna including many of the most rare and endangered animals and plants such as the legendary snow leopard that finds it’s haven and solitude on the peaks of surrounding mountains. The nature here is absolutely unique, you will be stunned by the variety of mountain lakes and by their beauty.